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Matt Petersen on Global Green USA

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Influencing policy in New Orleansand the Gulf Coast- Global

Greenrecognises that a key to the long-term success of sustainable development inNew Orleans will be liaising with government officials at the parish,state andfederal levels of government to create green building and energy policy andincentive programmes that ensure healthy, cost-effective green building becomesstandard practice. As a result of Global Green advocacy initiated around ourSustainable Design Competition, the New Orleans City Council passed a greenbuilding resolution that endorses the adoption of LEED Silver standards - agreen building rating system - for all city buildings, creates tax incentivesfor green building sector companies and encourages green building in theresidential sector.

Greening the Tax Credits

Asa result of Global Green's advocacy, the Louisiana Housing Finance Authority(LHFA) adopted guidelines (also known as the Qualified Allocation Plan, or QAP)that will be used to determine the distribution of over USD 150 million worthof tax credits for affordable housing until the end of 2008. The LHFA has askedGlobal Green to help implement these guidelines by reviewing developerapplications and providing educational materials.

Green Schools Initiative

Withthe help of a USD 2 million grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund, GlobalGreen USA has launched its Louisiana Green Schools initiative which advocatesfor the creation of high performance schools throughout the state of Louisianathat will benefit thousands of students. Green schools enjoy 20%-40% lowerenergy and water costs, provide an improved learning environment, and can be aninstrument for passing on environmental education. Global Green staff visitedand toured several school sites last December, then drafted and presented greenschools criteria to the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), which the LRA hassince adopted. Global Green presented a Green Schools Workshop to keystakeholders on August 8th, 2007, and additional training andworkshops will take place over the next 24 months. In addition, included in thegrant is the launch of Global Green's "Green Seed Schools" programme in whichfive New Orleans schools are being selected to receive financial and technicalassistance. In the Spring of 2007, the selection of the first Green Seed Schoolwas coupled with the development of an "Art and Assembly" programme whichexhibited the work of school children in a human art mural.


Sustainable Design Competition


On31 August 2006, Global Green USA announced the winner of the New OrleansSustainable Design Competition chaired by Brad Pitt. An official architecturaldesign and green technical jury helped pick the winning design after threemonths of consultation with the local community. The housing development, whichwill include a 12-unit multi-family building, five single-family homes and acommunity center, will be built in the Holy Cross Neighbourhood of the Lower NinthWard.The contest was committed to the goals of providing green affordablehousing and demonstrating principles of sustainable cities, and climatesolutions that work for communities. If 50,000 homes were rebuilt according tothe energy cost reduction goals of the Global Green Sustainable Designcompetition, residents would save USD 38 million to USD 56 million EVERY year.Additionally, each home with a sustainable design would also reduce carbon andgreenhouse gas emissions by approximately 11 tons per household per year.



Green building projects in California

GlobalGreen USA has long been a leader within the Green Cross International networkon issues of environmental awareness and "greening" of communities. Through theGreen Affordable Housing Initiative, Global Green works to encourage theadoption of green building strategies and materials in affordable housing.Working with affordable housing organisations, Global Green providesinformation and education on the best practices and components of financialstrategies, and relevant policy initiatives. In June 2007, Global Green, incollaboration with Community HousingWorks, launched 'SOLARA', the firstapartment community in California to be fully powered by the sun. Through theLocal Government Green Building Initiative, Global Green works in partnershipwith local governments to design local green building programmes and policies,and provides examples through case studies and design tools. Since 2004, GlobalGreen has also been very active in promoting its Green School Initiative toschools in Southern California where it is helping to green new schoolsconstruction. In addition to securing the USD 100 million set aside for greenschools in the state education bond initiative, Global Green advocated for aplan to distribute those funds that was approved by California's StateAllocation Board in September 2006. California's Global Warming Solutions Actof 2006 is the most significant climate legislation passed to-date in the USAand requires California to quarter its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Aspart of Global Green USA's Climate Solutions for Communities Initiative, GlobalGreen USA successfully added key language to the "Community EmpowermentAmendment" included in AB 32. This amendment will empower California'slow-income communities to participate directly in and benefit from carbonfinance to mitigate climate change and help the most at risk communities adaptto it.

Mikhail Gorbachev on green building project in New Orleans
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Green Building fundraising event

InDecember 2006, Global Green USA hosted its 2nd annual San Francisco event,attended by actors Salma Hayek, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom and hundredsof supporters. The event focused on green design solutions to combat globalwarming and other environmental problems. The funds raised during the event arebeing used to support Global Green's Green Building projects in New Orleans andCalifornia.



Global Green USA celebrity campaigns

Forthe past five years, Global Green USA has encouraged some of Hollywood's mostvisible personalities to cast the spotlight on global warming and climatechange by arriving at the Academy Awards in hybrid cars.Known as "RedCarpet,Green Cars", the event has become one of Global Green's most publicisedinitiatives. At the 2007 Oscar show, celebrities had the choice of arriving inThe Tesla Roadster,a high performance,all electric sportscar, a plug-in Priusthat gets up to 100 gpm, the all electric Phoenix Roadster SUV, CompressedNatural Gas vehicles or the electric Zap

Car.Celebrity and notable individuals participating included: Leonardo DiCaprio,Penelope Cruz, Forest Whittaker, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Gosling,Gwyneth Paltrow, Al and Tipper Gore, Melissa Etheridge, Davis Guggenheim andElisabeth Shue, Larry and Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns, LesleyChilcott.





Yahoo's Be a Better Planet campaign

Inspring 2007,Global Green USA partnered with Yahoo's Be a Better Planet campaign http://better.yahoo.com to offer cities and communities smart, simplesolutions that will save money, improve health, and help save our environment.Global Green is partnering with the winning city - Hastings, Nebraska - togreen a school or city building, or to create a citywide green buildingprogramme based on its recent publication "Developing Green BuildingProgrammes: A Step-by-Step Guide for Local Governments." Global Green alsoprovided much of the green building tips and content to the website http://green.yahoo.com . Starbucks is another company that has become aninfluential player in corporate sustainable development.





Starbucks Planet Green Game

InApril 2007, Starbucks and Global Green USA teamed up to encourage individualsto click, play and learn about global climate change and smart solutions withthe launch of. Through the online game located at www.planetgreengame.com players canexplore a virtual world and learn how everyday decisions by individuals,cities, schools and businesses can impact the climate and environment.The gameoffers real-world examples of how individuals can change their own behaviourand also influence the actions of community, political and corporate leaders toengage in the effort to stop global warming.



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